Amber Penney, Partner

Amber Penney brings heart to the family law team at Lenehan Musgrave, in addition to her years of experience. Amber takes a practical approach for her clients. Her preference is to assist her clients in reaching an out of court settlement, but she is a skilled and experienced courtroom lawyer in situations where the courtroom cannot be avoided.

Having graduated from the Dalhousie Schulich School of Law in 2011, Amber has an excellent understanding of family law and court procedure. Amber was the winner of the Smith Shield Moot competition, as well as the winner of the Wayne Spracklin Award for highest mark in the Real Estate and Wills section of the Newfoundland bar course. Amber originally articled in Newfoundland, was called to the Newfoundland and Labrador bar in June of 2012 and called to the Nova Scotia bar in July of 2012. Her practice has focused primarily on family law since July of 2012.

Amber’s dedication to clients, attention to detail, and thorough knowledge of family law results in excellent outcomes for her clients. She is very sensitive to the emotional nature of family law and works closely and efficiently with her clients, whether it be navigating through negotiations and preparation of documents, or representing her clients through complex litigation.

Email: amber@lenehanmusgravelaw.ca

What constitutes common law?

A common law relationship is simply the act of living together in a marriage-like relationship without actually being legally married. It does not require any kind of legal process to create a common law union. The definition of common law partnership also differs depending on the laws applied. For example, the Canada Pension Plan states that two people are in a common law relationship after a year of cohabitation. The Parenting and Support Act, on the other hand, requires two years of cohabitation before a relationship can be described as common law.